Unit 20 Employee Relations Assignment Solution

Unit 20 Employee Relations Assignment Solution

Program

Diploma in Business

Unit Number and Title

Unit 20 Employee Relations

QFC Level

Level 5

Introduction

The employee relation assignment is associated with the scenario of employee relations that is related with the acknowledgement of importance regarding better employee relations in regard to the business success, character associated with industrial conflict and resolution methods, collective bargaining and the negotiation method as well as the participation and involvement of employees’ perception. Also, the assessment of the changing aspects of contract associated with trade unionism needs to be done and the function of major players regarding employee relations should be elucidated.

Task 1

1.1

Unitary frame of reference: It is basically held by management who consider it their function to control and direct the workforce for the achievement of economical objectives as well as objectives related with growth. According to me, from the perspective of an organization unitary frame of reference refers to the thought process that is associated with the various practices, values, attitudes as well as suppositions in relation to the association between the management and the organization. This perception, I believe, is based on the statement that is concentrated towards achieving success, and every staff of various organizations irrespective of the different functions must share similar kind of values as well as goals. There are many such instances that can be put forward where the staffs of some organizations have to deal with poor wages as well as extremely bad conditions of working in factories. (Lancaster, 2010) I also feel that the unitary perception has been searching for the expression through the implementation of mission statements as well as measurement of success through the actualization of the set objectives.

A strong positive point associated with the unitary frame of reference, I believe, is emphasizing the manager’s role towards the attainment of a win-win scenario in respect of the staffs as well as the organizations where there occurs the appropriate alignment of their interest with one another. Managers are forced to stretch their styles of management to manage employability skills as well as emphasis g on their capabilities associated with leadership aspects. (Palmer, 2011)

Pluralistic frame of reference: It is stated that an industrial organization is a plural society that contains various associated but separate interests as well as goals that needs to be sustained in a certain type of stability. According to me, from the perspective of an organization pluralistic frame of reference is considered having the development with the help of varied as well as strong sub-groups, each one of them being loyal towards the law as well as their seniors and the goals. In the pluralistic perception, there is the existence of two major sub-groups viz., the trade-unions as well as the management. In this structure, I believe, the management’s role in an organization is to lean less towards the aspects of enforcing and controlling and more towards the aspect of synchronizing as well as influencing. In this respect, an organization’s trade unions will be compelled in presenting themselves as the representatives of the law in relation to the staffs. Conflicts are dealt with by considering the process of collective bargaining and are not being regarded as a negative aspect. (Stack, 2011)

A strong positive point associated with the pluralistic frame of reference is associated with embracing a broader arrangement of policies associated with employee relations. The restraining feature of polices associated with employee relations will provide assistance in making pluralism particularly advantageous in respect of varied organizational as well as national cultural aspects. (Stack, 2011) Moreover, I believe that trade unions can become efficient partners as well towards the alignment of individual as well as organizational interests in comparison to the unitary frame of reference in respect of employee relations.

1.2

Before commencing with this assessment, let me first briefly discuss about trade unions. According to me, trade unions are the associations whose formation, financing as well a functioning occurs by the members that possess their personal interests. There exist various unions covering a wide area within the employment field. There exists an array of roles that the trade unions play which takes into consideration the aspect of negotiating the situations as well as payments, offering information, details as well as recommendations, safeguarding the employer’s rights, conflict resolution in the concerned establishments as well as providing services in respect of the staffs. (Lancaster, 2010)

A significant challenge as well as changing aspect in respect of trade unions within the history of certain organizations is associated with the aspect of privatization of the program. The outcome of this was associated with the aspect of influencing the factories’ workers in a specific manner. There is the existence of a huge strength of workers that are facing the brunt of meager wages as well as extremely poor working conditions in the factories. There also have been certain evidences where some organizations do not possess the process of tracking good record in relation to the aspect of maintaining the trade union’s rights. Therefore, taking into consideration these challenging scenarios, various concerns have arose in the organizations and this has resulted in alerting these organizations. I feel, there is the requirement to possess enhanced methods of offering wages. (Harrell, 2011)There is the requirement to possess at least an amount of wage that will be meeting the fundamental criteria towards sustainability within the full-time job of the workers for reducing the overtime amount from the day.

Because of the involvement of these factors in certain organizations and the lack of taking into consideration these factors with proper solutions, there has been a growth in the strength of the staffs that are quitting the job to work with a new and different employers whom they believe will be giving them better treatment. Regarding certain changing aspects, the trade unions will constantly contribute to the function of playing the function of an important partner for improving the relations with the staffs by having a significant impact on the social policies that will strike equilibrium within the impartiality in respect of people as well as effectiveness in the markets. There is also the requirement to build a significant organizational base for influencing the results at the global as well as national levels. (Kotler, 2010)

Through the changes occurring in the trade unions of certain organizations, a social solidity, requirement for partnership, promoting democracy as well human rights as well as various challenging aspects that are faced at the global level will be involved. Towards promoting democracy as well as human rights, I feel that the trade unions are required to do the projection of their functions as being the essential medium to promote the democratic rights of the staffs.

1.3

The roles of the key players in employee relations are mentioned as under,

Employees and trade unions – According to me, a crucial role is played by the trade unions in various organizations for maintaining employee relations. The trade unions are performing various roles that take into consideration the aspect of negotiating the situations as well as payments, giving information, details as well as recommendations, safeguarding the staff’s rights, conflict resolution in the concerned establishments as well as providing and presenting services to the staffs. The employees should possess the right to have a dialogue with their superiors whenever they are facing any doubt regarding a circumstance and needs to clarify them at the earliest. Complications should not exist regarding the hierarchy since it will be resulting in disagreements as well as misunderstandings with the staffs. (Lind, 2014)

Employers and employer organization – The managers in the organizations, I believe, ensures that every staff is having the involvement in the communication process that takes place in respect of presenting an image that has more common objectives. According to me, a team leader should concentrate on the accountabilities towards encouraging healthy competition at the workplace. It is significant for understanding that the organizational managers are playing a crucial role in respect of employee relations. I feel there is significance in understanding that the supervisor is required having the capability to assign various tasks with challenging aspects to the team members in accord with their interests as well as specializations. It is very much essential towards understanding the team members of an organization in an important way. An organizational team leader is required to behave as a role model in respect of the team members. The organizational team leader is required providing equal treatment to every staff and should avoid being partial at the workplace. (Lind, 2014)

Government and government agencies –The Government, according to me, does the assumption of various roles to hold representative association in respect of an organization. There are different offices that are playing an important role regarding employee relations such as,

Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Services (ACAS): It provides assistance to an organization in resolving disputes in three manners viz., arbitration, mediation as well as collective conciliation.

Employment tribunals: These are considered to be free legal bodies that focus on aspects associated with matters related to job, such as rejections that are not justified, equal pay as well as vocation insurance procurement.

Task 2

2.1

The procedures that an organization like NHS employer is required following when it deals with various situations of conflict are explained as under,

Compromising – This is considered to be significant strategy towards conflict management that is associated with reaching a compromising situation stating that the conflicting parties concentrate on a solution in relation to mutual agreement providing both the parties what they required. Although, none of the parties receive what they required specifically, they neither lose completely. Each of the parties, apparently experiences certain amount of frustration but peacefully make settlement regarding the situation.

Avoiding –There is no doubt that the various conflict situations are considered to be objectionable therefore, in certain situations individuals try managing the various conflict situations by avoiding them. (Johnson, 2011)

Forcing – Since, a conflict situation still persists even after ignoring the situation or avoiding the situation, the manager will be interested in trying a more direct approach for a conflict situation to end. For doing that, the manager might take into consideration the aspect of forcing the solution meaning that an individual or a group makes the decisions in respect of what the result should be. (Boone, 2015)

Resolving – This is considered to be the most direct and at times, most challenging means of managing various conflict situations by confronting the problem as well as solving it. This is considered to be a strategy for managing conflict which is known as conflict resolution. To confront the crisis situation has the requirement for listening to both the parties as well as making an attempt for understanding rather than censuring. Also, both the parties are required identifying the areas on which they are giving consent and the means through which both the parties will be benefitting from probable resolutions. (Boone, 2015) The two parties are required assessing their individual feelings as well as taking their time to reach for an answer.

2.2

For an organization such as NHS employer management of conflict situations effectively is considered to be a significant aspect and in this respect there is the requirement to possess strong communication skills. This takes into consideration the formation of an open environment to communicate within the particular unit in respect of encouraging the staffs at NHS employer in communicating specific matters I relation to work. Taking into consideration the staff’s concern will be resulting in nurturing an open business environment for ensuring that there is an understanding in regard to the queries of the staffs as well as creating a focus in respect of the viewpoint associated with the issue. This might take into consideration the involvement of two staffs who are having a fierce competition amongst each other for acquiring a particular position at the place of work. (Barden, 2015) Regarding such conflict situations, there shall be the requirement towards conflict resolution in relation to the particular circumstance. Moreover, it is also required acknowledging the presence of a challenging circumstance.

Communication – It can be stated that lucidity as well as trustworthiness are playing a major function regarding the overall resolution process. Certain feelings in relation to anger as well as the situations that hurt an individual give rise to the conflict situations. So, prior to the commencement of the aspect to solve the conflict situation there is a requirement towards identifying as well as acknowledging such kinds of emotional aspects.

Mediation – It is considered to be an alternative that assists in resolving as well as managing conflict situations at the earliest. Mediation at NHS employer stresses on the aspects of open communication as well as solving of problems whose facilitation is carried out by the trained mediators. There occurs voluntary participation on behalf of the people regarding mediation.

Mediation is taken into consideration when the filing of a grievance has been made by a represented staff. Grievances are having the involvement of working relationships. (Boone, 2015) Interpersonal communication or ambiguities in regard to the expected situations are examples of crises situations that are taken into consideration in respect of mediation.

2.3

In certain situations, even from the perspective of successful establishments such as NHS employer and British Medical Association (BMA), the identification of conflict situations have been made as a positive aspect that will assist in bringing significant changing aspects. The conflict situations at NHS employer as well as BMA also give rise to certain negative outcomes.

Conflict resolution at the place of work:When BMA is facing a conflict situation with NHS employer, there is the requirement for a constructive resolution of conflict by the two parties. Or else, it will not be possible for the conflict situation to get dissolved. When the aspect of conflict resolution gets initiated, both the parties are required acting spontaneously whenever there occurs an awareness regarding the conflict situation. As the crises keeps continuing, both the parties keep getting more and more emotional about it that results in making the resolution increasingly challenging. Therefore, there is the need to do the preparation of conflict resolution by understanding about the conflict situation. There is a need for focusing on the behavioral aspect that can be changed by individuals and not on personalities that cannot be changed by the individuals. (Baker, 2010)

Responding to a conflict: At times, the manager might be the reason for the conflict situation that is troubling another person. After the manager is having the awareness regarding the conflict situation, it is depending on the manager for responding in a manner that will be making a solution achievable.

Understanding the problem: The constructive process for responding to a conflict situation is listening to the other individual first and trying to acknowledge what the crisis situation is associated with. There is the need to have an effective interpretation of the conflict situation and blaming statements should be avoided and most importantly it is required finding out what particular actions are being referred by the other individual. (Baker, 2010)

Working on the solution: After the conflict situation is being understood, there is the requirement for building an environment for functioning collectively in respect of resolving the conflict. For doing this, there is the need towards agreeing with certain aspects o what the other individual has mentioned.

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Task 3

3.1

Before proceeding with the explanation, let us first understand the aspect of collective bargaining. It is a joint method of managing and also management of administrative regulation in relation with work individuals and moreover, the aspect of regulating the work condition. Collective bargaining is considered to be an association of trade where dealings regarding work occur within the supervisors as well as the juniors by organizing a trade union. (Baines, 2012)

The function of negotiation regarding collective bargaining is explained as under,

Preparing – There was the composition of a negotiation team and representatives from NHS employer and BMA were there possessing adequate knowledge as well as skills regarding negotiation.

Discussing – There were discussion amongst the two parties in respect of different matters that will provide assistance towards guiding the negotiations and in relation to that a mutually reliable environment and understanding occurred as well to reach the agreement regarding collective bargaining.

Proposing – Here, messages get exchanged and also the point of views of NHS employers and BMA are being considered. (Baines, 2012)

Bargaining – Appropriate bargaining takes place within the two parties for adopting an approach of finding solutions regarding the conflict situation and as a result, the agreements are drafted.

Settling – Post the completion of the process of bargaining, NHS employers as well as British Medical Association reach an agreement of consent as well as are agreeing towards taking a collective decision in relation to the resolution of conflict.

3.2

The strategies for negotiation are being taken into consideration as the interactive patterns that NHS employers as well as BMA are using, which are involved in the situation of conflict towards the actualization of a solution. There can occur the utilization of different strategies in regard of negotiation at NHS employers that will be having increased reliance in relation to the relevant aspect of the problem whose negotiation is required to be done and the current relation between the NHS employers and BMA in relation to the negotiation. Two major aspects that NHS employers will be undertaking in respect of the strategies for negotiation are regarded as the strategies for competition and the strategies for collaboration. (Armstrong, 2014)

The collaborative strategies promote the aspect of sharing information with the other parties in respect of negotiation. The sharing of information contributes to the aspect of enabling a collaborative negotiator in respect of evaluation of the needs. The competitive strategies are considered to be the endeavor for resolving the situation of conflict by explicitly as well as implicitly using the aspects of threats as well punishments.

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Conclusion

This assignment is discussing about the aspect of employee relations that is related with the explanation of the methods that a company needs to follow that deals with various conflicting situations, that explains the essential characteristics associated with employee relations and evaluation of the efficiency of the processes that NHS employers as well as BMA are following. Moreover, there has been the explanation of the function of negotiation regarding collective bargaining and the assessment of the influence of the strategies for negotiation that BMA as well as NHS employers will be adopting.